Knitting-machine



2 Sheets$heet 1.

(No Model.)

G. W. CUMMINGS.

KNITTING MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 21, 1897.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. W. CUMMINGS. KNITTING MACHINE.

N 595,698. Patented Dec. 21,1897.

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' UNITE STATES PATENT rrrcne GEORGE \V. CUMMINGS, OF COHOES, NEW YORK.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,698, dated December 21, 1897.

Application filed February 25, 1896. Serial No, 580,712. (No model.) i

a citizen of the United States, residing at Cohoes, in the county of Albany'and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in knitting-machines and is designed to be applied to the same for producing knitted plush fabrics; 'and it consists of the devices and combinations of'devices and elements hereinafter described, and set forth in the claims.

The objects of my invention are to arrange a landing-bur for operation with the fabric While in formation and with the backingthread of the same after a sinking bur or wheel has operated with a tying-in thread,

and also to provide, with a landing-bur, certain combinations of devices by means of which the said landing-bur may be nicely adj usted and be properly guarded and prevented from injuriously affecting the fabric. Other advantageous operations will be fully disclosed by the specification. I attain these objects by means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of a portion of a machine embodying my invention with the push-down and its bracket removed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my landing-bur and the sinking-bur stand and adjuncts thereto. Fig. 3 is an elevation in the transverse and Viewed from the inner side of the machine; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the pushdown, guard, and elastic guard-shield employed with my landing-bur.

The same letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

In the drawings,-A is the cylinder, which may be of any preferred diameter and form of construction, supported from any suitable table and revolved by proper mechanism and preferably by shaft A, supported in bearings and-driven by any preferred mechanism.

a a are the usual needles, secured to shanks a, which are tightly clamped in place to cylinder A by clamping-pieces A and screws M, as generally practiced by the trade.

B is the sinker-bur-stand bracket, carrying the sinker-bur stand B and adjustable horizontal bracket B and their respective adjuncts and cooperating devices, usually em-' ployed in knitting-machines, which adjuncts and devices I will briefly refer to in the drawings, as they are generally old and well-known devices which are employed by me in combination with the devices which are myinvention. Of these old devices, 0 is the plushbur; suitably supported on shaft 0, carried by radial arm 0, which has secured to its outer end the backing-thread guide 0. This arm 0 is adjustable Within the split clampin g-sleeve 0 carried by the vertical bracket 0 secured in an adjustable manner to the horizontal bracket B2, adjustable on the standbracket B.

D is the clearing-bur, mounted at an angle on a suitable spindle carried by the radial arm D, having secured to its outer end the tying-in-thread guide d. This arm D is ad justable in the split clamping-sleeve D carried by the-vertical bracket D secured adjustably with the horizontal bracket B E is the sinker-bur, arranged at the outer side of the circular line of needles, mounted on a suitable spindle 6, set at an angle to the needles and in a line at an inclination oppo-- site to that of the axis of the spindle of the clearing-bur D, and is carried by the inner end of the radial spring-actuated arm E,contained in the sleeve F, secured to the vertical bracket-standard B, which may be vertically adjusted in either direction, as may be required; This spring-actuated arm E may be to such a degree as may be desired.

G is a second radial sleeve supported by a suitable standard G and capable of being vertically adjusted on the same. Within said sleeve Works the spring-actuated arm G similar to spring-actuated arm E in sleeve F and carrying by its inner bracket end the pintle g, arranged on an angle in the same line of direction as the pintle e, and on this pintle g is mounted the sinker-bur H, Which operates with the face-thread running from a suitable face-thread guide to said bur.

I is a spring-actuated presser secured to the head end of the spring-actuated arm I,working in sleeve 1 secured within the split clam ping-sleeve 1 supported by any suitable bracket, as 2', secured to the stem end G. A

pin 1;, secured to the spring-actuated arm I and working in the short guiding-slot 2' holds the presser I to its work at the needles.

These several devices, as above mentioned, are old and their operations are so well known to the trade that description of their operations with the needles, their adjuncts, and threads are therefore unnecessary at this time.

I have introduced into the knitting mechanisms above described of the knitting-machine a new element for operation with the baekin g thread or threads, which in the fabric produced furnishes the loops or shags constituting in the finished fabric the plush elements of the same, so that the shag of the plush side of the fabric is made to have new and; distinguishing characteristics and features not before found in other knitted plush fabrics. These new elements which give to the fabric the distinguishing features and characteristics referred to may be produced by different mechanisms operating with the backing thread or threads, yet I at present give preference to the employment of the new devices shown in the drawings as being the simplest and most advantageous for use.

In these new devices K is the landing-bur for operation with the backing-thread T, first carried to the needles by the plush-bur C. This landing-bur is arranged within the circle of theinner sides of the needles a a of the cylinder and has its axis of revolution atan angle to the needles and inclining downwardly and in the direction of revolution of the cylindeigoas indicated by arrows in Fig. 1. This landingbur is mounted on the lower end of spindle K and freely revolves on the same, with the burs or blades of this landing bur or wheel K so acting with the needles from their inner sides as to carry the backing-thread up preparatory to the fabric receiving the facethread and after the tying-in thread T has been interwoven with it. This bur K is readily adjustable in any direction and may be so made byanysuitable means, yet I preferably employ for that purpose the attachingsleeve L, applied to the outer end portion of arm M, through which sleeve the upper end of spindle K transversely passes and is adjusta-bly secured by set-screw In, Figs. 1, 2, and A split clamping-sleeve N, provided with clampingscrew m, receives the said arm M and when loosened allows said arm to be moved horizontallyin either direction The cross-head N, Fig. 3, is preferably integral with the split clamping-sleeve N and is provided with slot-form holes for receiving the holding-screws 1'2, screwing into the bracket or standard B, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. By means of these several devices, which are only adjuncts to this 1anding-bur, a nice adjustment of the latter in relation to needles. from its bobbin (not shown) to and through the needles for best operations may be readily effected.

P is a presser having bearing on the barbs of the needles for pressing them inwardly at the time the backing-thread is being carried upwardly by the landing bur or wheel K, preparatory to running in the face-thread T which is run from its bobbin (not shown) to and through the thread-guide 1) and thence to a suitable tension device (not shown) and thence to the sinker bur or wheel ]I, before described. This presser isfixed on the inner or head end of the arm P, which latter freely works in the adjustable sleeve P shown to be clamped in the split sleeve P by means of clamping-screw p, and is guided by the guide-pin p fixed in said arm and working in the guide-slot 29'', provided in the said adjustable sleeve P Spring R, between the shoulder of the head end of the presser-arm P and the adjustable sleeve P renders the presser elastic, and by means of the adjusting devices described the elastic pressure of this presser on the barbs of the needles may be nicely adjusted. Although the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, show the face-thread guide 0' for receiving the face-thread T to be supported from the rear end of the presser-arm P, yet it may be supported by any other device or byan adjunct to the sleeve G or other piece.

The manner in which working parts of the knitting-machine embodying my invention operate is as follows: The backing-thread T, which in the finished plush fabric comprises the loops or shags of the plush, may be of wool,

cotton, or other vegetable or animal fiber or :an y suitable mixtures in desired proportions j of the same, as may be preferred for the class of articles to be produced. lVhen the cylinder is revolved, this thread T runs from the .bobbin (not shown) to the thread-guide c ;and thence to the tension-piece, guiding the thread to the plush-bur O and the needles in the usual manner. This backing-thread T is then carried by the needles to the clearingbur D and passed down to the shanks of said The tying-in thread T is then run the thread-guide d and thence to the usual tension-piece guide (6, Fig. 3, at the sinkerbur E, which latter carries this tying-in thread under the barbs of the needles. All these operations, being old, are so well known that a particular description is unnecessary. The new elements which I have provided for operation for producing an improved knitted plush fabric are now brought into action for operating with the backing-thread T preparatory to working in the face-thread T The revolutions of the cylinder being continued,

the barbs of the needles are carried to the.

presser P and by it are pressed inwardly at the same time the landing bur or wheel K operates to carry up the backing-thread T from the inner side of the circular series of needles preparatory to the face-thread T being run from the bobbins (not shown) into the needles and worked in with the tying-in thread T by the operation of the sinker-bur H, which carries the face-thread to the needles atthe same time the tying-in thread is being carried under the barbs of the needles and before the loops or shag's produced from the backingthread T are raised up and landed on the points of the barbs of the needles, ready to be cast off after theface-thread is worked in. Sinker-bur H now carries the face-thread under the barbs of the needles and lands it at the side of the tying-in thread. Then presser I closes the barbs of the needles, when the usual landing-bur (not shown, being well known) inside the circle of the needles lands the fabric preparatory for the operation of the cast-off bur (not shown, being well known) for casting off the finished fabric in which the three above-named threads are embodied.

The landing bur or wheel K being arranged for operation with the backing-thread from the inner circumferential line of the series of needles a a, and the partly-formed fabric Q, produced by the backing-thread worked in with the tying-in thread, being wholly within inner circumferential line of the needles, I providea suitable device for carrying the lower margin of the partly-finished fabric, while yet on the needles, to a suitable distance below the same. Ialso provide a suitable bur-receivin g device for preventing the blades of the bur or wheel touching any portion of the-fabric Q or any guarding device which may be interposed between the fabric Q and the bur K, and, further, I provide an elastic guard which interposes between the cup receiving the bur K and the fabric, so as to prevent the said cup from entering into any hole which may by accident be formed in the fabric, as by dropping stitches, which sometimes occur.

I at present prefer to employ as a device for carrying the lower margin portion q of the fabric Q below the plane of the base-line of the needles the push-down piece S, (shown by full lines in Fig, 4,) which piece is made tongue portion s 'of said arm, (indicated by of thin metal and curved horizontally to correspond with the curve of the line of the shanks Ct of the needles at a pointa little below the base ends of the latter. With the lower margin of this push-down piece is provided the downwardly-projected convex-form runner s, which is preferably wholly below the plane of the lower side of the landing-bur K and serves to press the fabric Q, directly below said bur, down to ashort distance below the same, as shown in Fig. 2. This piece S has provided in it the opening 6, which allows the spindle K, bur K, and its cup U to be adj usted horizontally in either direction on arm M. S is a suitable arm adjust-ably secured to post S preferably connected to standard 13 and set with its face side inclining and'having in it the vertical slot 8, (indicated by full and dotted lines,) in which slot is received a U is a cup for receiving the landing-bur,

and it may be made as a piece separate from .the spindle K and be secured to the lower end thereof by any preferred means, yet I prefer to make this bur-receiving cup integral with said spindle K by forming it with the lower I end of said spindle and recessing this cup from its upper side, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, so that said bur may be received therein when slipped on the spindle K from its upper end before being secured to the arm M. The side of this cup U opposite the needles a is removed for allowing the blades of the bur K to project tb said needles, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

V is the cup-guard, preferably formed of a strip of elasticthin metal and arranged horizontally in front of the bur-cup U and supported in place from the body of the pushdown piece S, preferably by one end thereof being secured to said piece S by rivets or screws, While the opposite end thereof is free and the body thereof is convex on its side adjoining the fabric Q, so as to allow this cupguard to receive the pressure of the said fabric as it is carried by the revolution of the cylinder without liability of it catching in-the same. Although this push-down piece, bnr-receivin g cup, and guard shown are each of a form I at present prefer, yet I do not confine myself to the construction shown of said parts and the means by which they may be supported in place or adjusted, as they may be variously modified by exercise of ordinary judgment and skill.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, rs-

1. In a knitting-machine, the combination with the needles of a revolving cylinder, of an adjustable spindle supported and arranged within the needles and at an angle or incline in direction toward the direction of the motion of said revolving cylinder, of a cup, and a landing bur or wheel contained in said cup and mounted on the lower end of said spindle and adapted to operate with the backingthread received by said needles, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

I 2. In a knitting-machine, the combination with a landing bur or wheel arranged with its axis of revolution at an angle in relation to the needlesof a revolving cylinder, and in place between the cast-oft portion of the finished fabric and the inner sides of the needles of a landing-burcup inclosiug both the lower end portion and the inner peripheral portion of said landing bur or wheel and supported from the spindle 011 which said bur revolves, for intervention between the latter and the finished fabric, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a knitting-machine the combination with a landing bur or wheel arranged with its axis of revolution at an angle in relation to the needles of a revolving cylinder and in position between the inner sides of the needles and the finished fabric, of a guard arranged in position between said landing bur or wheel and said fabric substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

el. In a knitting-machine the combination with a landing bur or wheel and the landingbur cup open at its outer side for projection of the burs or blades of said landing-bur among the inner sides of the needles, of a cup-guard calculated to prevent the said cup engaging with any perforations which may accidentally be produced in the fabric, sub stantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. I11 a knitting-machine the combination with a landing bur or wheel arranged between the inner side line of the circular row of needles of a revolving cylinder and the later-finished portion of the fabric and a cup receiving said landing-bur, of a push-down device having a rigid support from a stationary adjunct of the machine and provided with an opening for receiving the major portion of the landing-bur and its cup, with the lower side edge of said push-down device calculated to have bearing on the lower margin portion of the fabric at the needles and progressively crowd down the finished fabric below the lower side of the landing bur orwheel, between the latter and the needles, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

GEORGE XV. CUMMINGS. Vitnesses:

CHARLES SELKIRK, A. SELKIRK, Jr. 

